Stop-motion mechanism.



No. 727,501. ,PATBNTED MAY 5, 1903.

L. D. WADE.

STOP MOTION MECHANISM.

APPLIUATION FILED 0OT.16, 1901.

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No. 727,501. PATENTBD MAY5,'1903. L. D. WADE.

STOP MOTION MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T.16. 1901.

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N VE N TOR i [maxi/@676 A T TOHNE Y8 Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS DAVID WADE, OF CEDARTOWVN, GEORGIA.

STOP-MOTION MECHANISM.

SEECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,501, dated May 5, 1903. Application filed October 16, 1901. $erial No. 73,821. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS DAVID WADE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cedartown, in the county of Polk and State of Georgia, have invented a new and Improved Stop-Motion Mechanism, of which the iollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to stop-motion mechanisms for weaving-machines, looms, andother devices used in operating textiles. It is based upon the principle that the breaking or slackening of a thread controls an electromagnet, and thereby disconnects some part of the machinery.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation showing my improved device as applied to a knitting-machine. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a means for opening the electric circuit. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line :2 00 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a vertical section upon the line y y, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the electrode for completing the electric circuit, and Fig. 6 is adetail View of the mechanism for disconnecting the driving from the driven machinery.

Upon the frame 1 the machinery is mounted. Extending upwardly from the frame is a staff 2, provided with a platform 5, which sup ports two spools or bobbins 3 4, from which the thread 29 30 is to be unwound; thread is carried over hooks 9 10, which depend froin the support 6. From the hooks 9 10 the respective threads pass through slots 49 in plates 31 and 32, secured to the support 6 by means of screws 32 and 32 ,'which enter blocks 7, which may be integral with the plates 31 and 32 or fixed rigidly thereto,

as desired, so as to form a good bearing-sur- The with reference to the plate 31 in Fig. 2, going over the two guides 35, through the slots and over the guide 36, so as to be supported by the guides. Between the two guides 35 is a U -shaped electrode comprising vertical members 42 and 43 and a laterally-extending hook 41. This electrode is mounted upon suitable guides 47 48, which enable it to slide vertically. Normally this electrode is suspended by the hook resting on the thread, as is shown in Fig. 2, so that the breaking of the thread will release the electrode and allow the vertical members 42. 43 to drop downward into the cups of mercury 44 45 below, these cups being-located in the electric circuit and normally insulated from each other. From the plates 31 32 the threads pass downward through guides 25 26 to the work.

Adjustable weights 39 are located upon a rod 40, which is rigidly connected with the rocking cylinder 34, and serve to balance the weight of the guides 35 36, the electrode, and the threads. 'lhethreads are supported upon each side of the plates 31 and 32 and pass through the slots 49; but the breaking of either of the threads precipitates the electrode, which completes the electric circuit. The electric circuit is formed by the battery 56*, which is connected with the magnet 12, provided with an armature l3 and with conductors 27 and 28, which are connected in multiple by appropriate shunts 23 24, so that any one thread breaking will cause the circuit to be closed.

The machinery to be driven is connected with the driving machinery by means of an appropriate clutch 21, which is old and need not be explained further than to say that it is normally opened by a spring in the usual manner. A handle 22 can be used for opening the clutch at will. A rocking cylinder 19 is mounted in an appropriate bearing 20 and is provided with a radially-swinging arm 18, upon which is rigidly secured a boss 17, SO that the swinging of the arm 18 will cause the opening and closing of the clutch. Splined within a rocking cylinder 54 is a rod 55, surrounded by a compression-spring 52, so arranged that the rocking of the radial arm 15, connected by a rod 14 with the armature 13, will-cause the rocking of the mutilated disk 16. When the radial arm 15 is moved into the position indicated in Fig. 6, the mutilated disk 16 can pass by the boss 17 into the position shown, and thereby release the radial arm 18, which allows a rocking movement of the cylinder 19 and permits the spring-actuated clutch 21 to open. It is clear, therefore, that when the magnet 12 pulls the armature 13, and thereby rocks the radial arm 15, the clutch 21 will be disengaged from its shaft.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Supposing the apparatus to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, the breaking of the thread 29 (shown in Fig. 2) releases the electrodehook 41, and the electrode drops down, so that the bars 42 and 43 make contact between the mercury-cups 44 and 45, thereby completing the circuit. The electromagnet immediately pulls the armature 13, rocks the radial arm 15, releases the boss 17, allows the radial arm 18 to swing around, and permits the clutch to open, thus disconnecting the driving machincry from the driven machinery.

My object in working the device electrically is to get that peculiar instantaneous action usual with the electric current and to cause the immediate disengagement of the parts upon the breaking of the thread. By this means I not only save thread, but get a quicker warning of the breaking of the thread.

In the operation of my improved stop-motion the thread or yarn is conducted through the slot 49 in the guide-plate 31, and this thread is upheld by resting upon the series of arms which form the thread-guides, said arms being attached to a rock-shaft and arranged to traverse the slot in the guide-plate. I prefer to arrange the arms on opposite sides of the plate, and between certain of these thread-guide arms is disposed the finger 41 of an electrical circuit-closer, the said finger arranged to traverse the slot 49 in the guideplate and to engage with the thread or yarn, which is upheld by the thread-guide arms. This circuit-closer has depending legs, which are slidably fitted in and electrically insulated by suitable guides on the plate 31, and these legs are adapted to be immersed in mercury contained within the cups 44 45. The rock-shaft which sustains the series of threadguide arms is provided with a counterpoise, which serves to balance the weight of the arms and to normally hold them in their proper raised positions. These counterbalanced arms maintain the thread or yarn Within the slot of the guide-plate, and this thread serves to uphold or sustain the circuit-closer,because the arm 41 of the latter engages with the thread, thus imposing the weight of the circuit-closer on the thread-guide arms, whereby the circuit-closer and the thread-guide arms are so related that the counterpoise will serve to counterbalance the electrical circuit-closer.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an electric stop-motion, a combined thread-guide and circuit-closer, comprising a supporting-plate having insulated guides and a thread-slot, rock-shaft journaled on the plate and provided with a counterweighted arm, thread-supporting arms secured to said rock-shaft and disposed on opposite sides of the plate in positions to traverse the slot therein, and an electrode having parallel legs Which are slidable in the insulated guides of the plate, said electrode having an oifstanding finger arranged to project across the slot in the plate and arranged close to the threadsupporting arms so that the weight of the electrode and of the arms will be counterbalanced by the weight on the rock-shaft.

2 The combination with a clutch adapted to control driven machinery, and a circuit which includes a magnet and a thread-controlled circuit-closer, of a vertical rock-shaft connected with said clutch, an arm extending from the rock-shaft and having a stud, a springactuated shaft having a mutilated disk arranged for engagement by said stud, and an arm on the last-named rock-shaft and connected with an armature of the magnet in said circuit.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS DAVID WADE.

Witnesses:

R. O. PITTs, R. A. ADAMS. 

